Thermo-temporal physisorption in metal-organic frameworks probed by cyclic thermo-ellipsometry.

Temperature-induced sorption in porous materials is a well-known process. What is more challenging is to determine how the rate at which temperature is varied affects these processes. To address this question, we introduce a methodology called "cyclic thermo-ellipsometry" to explore the thermo-kinetics of vapor physisorption in metal-organic framework films.

Programming crack patterns with light in colloidal plasmonic films.

Crack formation observed across diverse fields like geology, nanotechnology, arts, structural engineering or surface science, is a chaotic and undesirable phenomenon, resulting in random patterns of cracks generally leading to material failure. Limiting the formation of cracks or "programming" the path of cracks is a great technological challenge since it holds promise to enhance material durability or even to develop low cost patterning methods. Drawing inspiration from negative phototropism in plants, we demonstrate the capability to organize, guide, replicate, or arrest crack propagation in colloidal films through remote light manipulation.

Deep X-ray lithography on "sol-gel" processed noble metal mesoarchitectured films.

Noble metal coordination xerogel films (mesostructured with block-copolymers) exhibit solubility switching with increasing X-ray irradiation. Different from other sol-gel systems, these are attributed to film deconstruction under irradiation. These materials can be used as recyclable negative tone resists for deep X-ray lithography that can be further converted into metallic nanoarchitectured films.

The origin of the high electrochemical activity of pseudo-amorphous iridium oxides.

Combining high activity and stability, iridium oxide remains the gold standard material for the oxygen evolution reaction in acidic medium for green hydrogen production. The reasons for the higher electroactivity of amorphous iridium oxides compared to their crystalline counterpart is still the matter of an intense debate in the literature and, a comprehensive understanding is needed to optimize its use and allow for the development of water electrolysis. By producing iridium-based mixed oxides using aerosol, we are able to decouple the electronic processes from the structural transformation, i.

Nanoconfined water vapour as a probe to evaluate plasmonic heating.

Engineering photothermal effects in plasmonic materials is of paramount importance for many applications, such as cancer therapy, chemical synthesis, cold catalysis and, more recently, metasurfaces. The evaluation of plasmonic heating at the nanoscale is challenging and generally requires sophisticated equipments and/or temperature-sensitive probes such as fluorescent molecules or materials. Here, we propose to use water vapor as a probe to evaluate the local heating around plasmonic nanoparticles.